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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you use a childminder with a dog?

279 replies

PashunFroot · 08/06/2022 22:02

Just that really. We want to use a childminder rather than a nursery, purely for logistical reasons as they can collect older child from school. However all the childminders locally have dogs. I’m not a dog person, and I’m quite wary of them. I know they will be kept shut away from the children but would I always be worrying about it while I’m at work?

aibu for even being worried about it?

OP posts:
famagusta · 09/06/2022 08:57

mycatisannoying · 09/06/2022 08:54

Yes, absolutely. My kids would have loved this.

I don’t doubt my child would enjoy it

but it is the fact I don’t truly know this dog’s temperament and even if I do - could flip at any time

SnakeyCakey · 09/06/2022 09:06

Providing they were kept separate from the children yes.

Classicblunder · 09/06/2022 09:07

I don't believe for a minute that the dogs are always kept away from the kids. Maybe when Ofsted visit.

Original poster
PashunFroot · 09/06/2022 09:14

ive just got back. I’m quite happy with her set up actually. Two very old boys, one small, one big. They essentially have their own granny flat attached to the side of the house and their own garden that they have access to through out the day that is completely separate to the main house. There is a double baby gate so the dogs can look through and the kids can see them, but the kids can’t reach them to touch. Seems they just want to sleep and fart anyway and are not remotely interested in anyone else. I’ve got a few more places to look at, and am still considering a nursery but we would be happy to use her.

OP posts:
Noama · 09/06/2022 09:24

What a bunch of paranoid people you lot are. When have you ever seen a dog attack in a child care setting? This is professional childcare, they wouldn’t take that risk with your child. If you think they would then why would you consider anyone else looking after your child at all.
I get that dogs are dangerous, but it’s pretty much always guaranteed that it’s the abusive or neglectful owner who causes an aggressive dog.

LaFloristaCalista · 09/06/2022 09:27

For me it would depend on the breed. A tiny chihuahua or a Labrador would be ok. A Rottweiler absolutely not

itsgettingweird · 09/06/2022 09:28

No I wouldn't personally.

I'm not against dogs - schools near us locally have therapy dogs on site.

I just think a family pet is different and not supervised in the same way.

godmum56 · 09/06/2022 09:32

ChanceNorman · 09/06/2022 07:09

No. Dog owners prove time and time again that they cannot be objective about their pet - they're defensive and frequently don’t control them well. They regard them as one of their family so your child’s safeguarding would always be at the mercy of their loyalty to an unpredictable animal with animal reflexes and instincts

This with bells on.

There are posts on this thread proving this. One aong the lines of 'well I wouldn't leave dc unsupervised with them but I'd trust my dog with my life' 🙄

Anyone stupid enough to trust any dog 100% in this way - I would never believe their lip service to the not leaving dc alone with them.

I would trust MY dog with MY life but I wouldn't trust my dog with anybody else's life or any other dog with my life

BobbinHood · 09/06/2022 09:35

Either the dogs are shut away all day and not interacting with the children, in which case the risk is low but there’s no additional benefit in terms of getting to know how to behave around dogs; or the dogs are not shut away all day in which case the risk is higher than I’d be prepared to accept. So either way there’s no benefit that outweighs the unnecessary risk of a dog being there.

WifeMotherWorkRepeat · 09/06/2022 09:36

No problem with having a childminder that has dogs but you need to risk access the dog…
A baby or toddler around a Staffy or Rottweiler that would be a hard no for me however a Golden Retriever or Poodle then yes.

Original poster
PashunFroot · 09/06/2022 09:39

I don’t like dogs very much so not very good with breeds but it was a small fluffy white one (Pomeranian?) and a big hairy one. Like a hairy grey hound? There was zero dog hair in the childrens half of the house so I think the dogs don’t ever come into that side of the house.

OP posts:
CounsellorTroi · 09/06/2022 09:53

Big one sounds like a lurcher. The set up you describe sounds fine.

Dis626 · 09/06/2022 10:01

My DS has had 3 childminders and all of them have had dogs. It's never even crossed my mind of being an issue.

riesenrad · 09/06/2022 10:33

I would not use a childminder with a dog, but the childminder I was using for my ds got a dog after he'd been going to her for a few years. I wasn't massively happy, but didn't want to have to find someone else when she looked after him well and he was getting older by then and said he didn't mind. If he had been me, I would have had to move him as I was petrified of dogs as a young child.

riesenrad · 09/06/2022 10:36

Noama · 09/06/2022 09:24

What a bunch of paranoid people you lot are. When have you ever seen a dog attack in a child care setting? This is professional childcare, they wouldn’t take that risk with your child. If you think they would then why would you consider anyone else looking after your child at all.
I get that dogs are dangerous, but it’s pretty much always guaranteed that it’s the abusive or neglectful owner who causes an aggressive dog.

Not true at all. Any dog can turn, and a dog with lots of kids might just get fed up one day. Nothing to do with the breed.

In fact my son's childminder's dog did "bite" me one day (put its teeth on me). I jumped and she told me off for "making a fuss and scaring the kids". Fortunately he was in Y6 by then and didn't have long to go with her anymore. I don't think you should have dogs if you are childminding, but as above she got hers a few years in.

Giraffesandbottoms · 09/06/2022 10:38

The child won't be in a room with the dig, the dog will be shut away

that might be the default, but there is room for error/gate being left open/child wandering and provoking dog. Too many risk factors that are unnecessary. I agree with the PP who said they would question the judgement of a childminder who owns a dog.

mindutopia · 09/06/2022 11:23

Personally, no. Because I have a dog and I know that they take care during the day. How does the dog get fed, walked, taken out for wees/poos, while the childminder is minding the children?

caringcarer · 09/06/2022 11:24

No. Even if dog was placid any dog can snap/bite eg if feeling unwell.

PineappleWilson · 09/06/2022 11:32

When we looked at CMs, I'd have said flat no because of the safety thing and because we have animal hair allergies in the family and DD has asthma. Then I found that only one CM locally had no dogs. They had cats instead. We've ended up with a brilliant CM who has both, but the dog is well controlled apart from when it chewed DD's toy handbag

Do you have other CMs available with no dogs?

skgnome · 09/06/2022 11:39

Depends on the dog, the age of the kid and how well trained the dog is and the set up
a school aged kid, well trained / older dog, with a separate space where the childminder actively teaches (and supervised) the kids how to approach the dog and makes sure the dog is left alone when he’s having enough - of course! I would see that as a big bonus
a baby with a overexcited puppy and a childminder that just got the dog as a first dog - then no

HappyMeal564 · 09/06/2022 11:58

I definitely wouldn't

Anotherdayanotherdollar · 09/06/2022 12:48

Chickychoccyegg · 08/06/2022 22:27

I'm a childminder, I have 2 dogs, thinking about it now, all the other childminders I know also have dogs.
It's a great way for children to learn how to behave around dogs and how to care for them.
You'll know when you've found the right childminder for you and your family, and part of that will be how they reassure you with their pet policy.
For the person who mentioned it upthread, there's no obligation to tell minded families you're going to get a dog or any pet, it's the childminders home at the end of the day, and the only thing minded families can do is leave if their not happy with that.

I think I am the poster that you are referring to. I certainly didn't expect a consultation because, as you said, it's her house, so her choice.
However, you also say that if minded families aren't happy that they can leave. How do you suppose families come to make such decisions given that they're not made aware of said dog?? I don't do pick ups from the CMs house, I didn't know there was a dog! My dc originally thought that it was CMs sisters dog that she was minding while the sister was on holiday, but nope, definitely CMs dog! I've no idea how long the dog had been there before the dc mentioned it. There's been no issues anyway.

The reason I mentioned it though was to highlight that even if the OP was to discount all CMs with dogs now, she might find herself in a position where her dc is settled with the CM, has a bond with her etc and the CM then gets a dog!

worriedatthistime · 09/06/2022 12:51

It doesn't matter what others would do its what you are comfortable with that matters
Childminders can have dogs and thats up to them , if a parent doesn't want to use them thats up to the parent
Some will see a dog a bonus others not , just personal preference

TakeMeToYourLiar · 09/06/2022 12:51

I’d meet them

ww used one with a dog who let the dog lick the babies. My son was traumatised and scared of dogs for years

ive also used a childminder with a dog for the last four years. Dog is never with kids unless she’s supervising. Even DS adores that dog.

worriedatthistime · 09/06/2022 12:52

@CandleSchtick you realise some schools even use them as therapy dogs etc now ??

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